Yair Netanyahu outlined his position on Gaza on Saturday in a post on X/Twitter, responding to French President Emmanuel Macron.

The post by the prime minister’s son called for the independence of multiple French territories and for the end of French “neocolonialism in Africa.”

By posting this, Netanyahu’s son was responding to Macron’s position on Gaza and a future Palestinian state.

On Wednesday, Macron announced that France may recognize a Palestinian state by June. Multiple groups then criticized this announcement.

Macron published his clarification to X on Friday, saying, “Yes to peace. Yes to Israel’s security. Yes to a Palestinian state without Hamas.”

France's President Emmanuel Macron looks on next to Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati during an international press conference in support of Lebanon, in Paris on October 24, 2024. (credit: ALAIN JOCARD/Pool via REUTERS)
France's President Emmanuel Macron looks on next to Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati during an international press conference in support of Lebanon, in Paris on October 24, 2024. (credit: ALAIN JOCARD/Pool via REUTERS)

He specified that he wanted “the release of all hostages, a lasting ceasefire, the immediate resumption of humanitarian aid, and the pursuit of a political two-state solution.”
The French president said that he supported the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians to peace and to a state. Macron added that June would be a turning point for a peace process.
Netanyahu’s son responded to Macron by writing, “Screw you! Yes to the independence of New Caledonia! Yes to the independence of French Polynesia! Yes to the independence of Corsica! Yes to the independence of the Basque Country! Yes to the independence of French Guinea! Stop the neoimperialism of France in West Africa!”

France and Palestine

Netanyahu, by this, was referencing several territories of the French Republic that have had independence or separatist movements.
New Caledonia, in particular, was where protests and riots gripped the country after the French government attempted to expand the electorate to “foreign” (non-native) residents. The native Kanak people saw this move as an attempt to prevent another independence referendum by adding thousands of pro-France voters to the electoral roll.
The riots were so intense that France had to redeploy thousands of police members from France’s metropolitan area to restore order.
Netanyahu also called for the independence of Corsica, an island in the Mediterranean near Italy, and of the Basque Country, which is split between France and Spain and saw an intense terrorism campaign for much of the second half of the 20th century.
The prime minister also mentioned West Africa, where France was accused of running a neocolonialism regime by controlling significant aspects of Francophone West African countries’ economies.